St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-19
HE HAD SEEN LIFE,

HE HAD SEEN LIFE.
The Checkered Career of the Po-
lice Reporter.
We-that is, three morning newspa-
per reporters, the sergeant on duty and
the telephone operator-were sitting in
side the rail at police headquarters one
evening not long since, discussing the
burning of the five saw mills the night
before, when the conversation turned
on travel and the odd situations a man
would often find himself in when away
from home. One of the reporters, well
known in Minneapolis, finally remarked
that for young man he had done con-
siderable moving around in his time,
and had seen almost every phase of
life, from luxurious home to scratching
around and panhandling his meals.
Eyes, said he, refectively, II have
knocked around some, and were l Situ-
ated differently would like to do the
whole business over again. Tell you
about it? Cert. On one condition, how
ever, and that is that you let me tell it
in my own way and do not ask me too
many questions. Well, to begin. with,
when 1 was fifteen years
old l made up my mind l
wanted to learn the printers
trade, and finally managed to get taken
into the Office of our local newspaper as
devil which office l filled for nearly a
year and half to the satisfaction of all
interested parties. The paper changed
hands then, and the new prOprietor's
wife,who wrote all the editorials, and I,
did not agree upon some material
points. 1t ended by my drawing my
salary for that WEEKS. 25-and leav-
ing. Struck up North and got sit on
daily in big lumber town. In short
time was made foreman and handled
the forms. This was a good place, but
was forced to leave because of slight
disagreement with the editor, who
kicked because l put patent medicine
'ad' at the head of the editorial column
in fit of absent mindedness. Next l
struck weekly paper in a town few
miles distant, and in striking it struck a
very rich snap. The proprietor had
considerable outside business, and left
the editorials, keep the books, do the
job work, make up the forms and at
tend to a few other trivial matters.
This ran all right for about year, but
all the time was making the paper
red hot by writing up the most aston
iShing sensations, which made me an
object of much sOlicitude on the part
of some of the written up citizens, and
the paper target for all the abuse that
could be heaped upon it.
"ThingS at last grew too warm for my
gentle, confiding nature, and when, one
morning, the day after the appearance
of the paper, delegation waited On
me and advised me to resign, | prepared
to do so. But the strain had been too
much and that day l was taken sick
other diseases and lay in bed nearly
three months. When l got on my feet
again was only wreck of my former
self, weighing but ninety-One pounds.
Thinking that a change of climate
might do me good, secured transpOrta-
ton from a friend, whom I had not
roasted and left for the West.
Reached Huron, Oak, in a badly broke
condition, but secured inside of twenty
four hours the position of telegraph ed
itor of the Leader, now laid to rest i.
Elder E. I. Cressey was the owner and
editor, and a better man never wrote
editorials. But after had been there
some months I essayed to be funny, and
over an account of hanging article put
the head, which | had once seen in a
Sc
Cressey was wild when he saw it, and
we dissolved our relationship right
there. Mr.. Cressey wrote most hOrri-
bic hand, and, if l remember Alright,
one of the printers, one Davidson, used
to put in his spare time trying to figure
pictures and music out of a sheet of his
''Next I went to Pierre and tried
clerking in hotel. There was plenty
of fun in this, but my pocket book did
not get full very fast-nOt half as fast
as did the teamsters and cow boys, who
then formed the larger part of the float
ing population. Becoming tired of as
signing guests to rooms and transacting
the numerous duties which fell to my
lot, determined to become COW boy.
To hire out to ranchman was but short
work, and clad in the regular uniform
of the typical western man / started
out. Out at the Cheyenne crossing, be-
tween DeadWood and Pierre the party,
l among the number, proceeded to fill
up on poor whisky. 1t was wretched
stuff, and when | recovered from a full
fedged attack of the d. It's. the boys
compllmented me on my exceedingly
picturesque appearance. Getting into
Deadwood, determined to leave cattle
herding, and so went into the Pioneer
office-since swept away by high water
in the gulch-and struck the proprietor
for a job. 1t was no go, and 1 have
since learned that unless man dies ON
one of the papers there no sub ever
gets show. Once more [ went to cat
tie herding and remained at it for many
long months, seeing no new faces and
often living on bacon and a sort of
rough bread. AT last broke loose from
that life and came back to civilization.
Reaching here secured my present po-
sition, and here intend to remain. No,
1 did not get very rich in my travelling
around, but have had a pile of exper-
fence, and that's pretty near as good as
money. Well, it's 8 O'Clock, and I am
going home. Good night"